San Leandro Creek - Waters of Connection
'A Greenway Vision: Linking the Hills to the Bay' Proposal for a greenway connecting the assets along the San Leandro Creek watershed — Prepared by Robin Freeman, David Ralston and Estacia Huddleston (Merritt College, June 15, 2011) '' Connect the Dots is made possible by the Merritt College Environmental Management and Technology Program and the research and work by the students of ENVMT 50 (Spring 2011) under the direction of Professor Robin Freeman and David Ralston (with thanks to Tech Prep and the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water). This wiki is dedicated to the vision of creating a unique greenway linking the Hills to the Bay, or the "Trees to the Sea." Opening access to the San Leandro Creek, and its watershed, in a way that can benefit the surrounding residents while improving public safety and providing a special resource for people to enjoy. '* THE GOAL *' Strengthen the interconnections between various local sustainability entities and how they relate to global issues. '* OBJECTIVES *' Ongoing Connect the Dots meetings and activities which allow stakeholders to learn of each other's visions, current projects and challenges. ''* These are part of and based on the research for the LINCS project (Local and International Collaborations for Sustainability) of the David R. Brower, Ronald V. Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies at Merritt College. '* THE VISION *' '' Inspired by the natural beauty of this watershed, it is easy to envision the possibility of a greenway stretching from Lake Chabot in the east bay hills all the way down to the MLK Shoreline... a continuous trail accessible to bicycles, walkers and possibly equestrians... a trail that has stewards and rangers, interpretive signage, areas to rest and watch the creek, and a trail that creates easy pedestrian access to key neighborhoods and the community assets along its course.'' 'From the Hills to the Bay: Organizing Around our Watershed' The San Leandro Creek stretches approximately 6.25 miles from its headwaters above Lake Chabot, and drops about 230 feet in elevation from the East Bay Hills, snaking gently through the flatlands along the East Oakland/ San Leandro City borders until it meets the San Leandro Bay at Arrowhead Marsh. This watershed is a key conduit between two valuable natural resources in the Bay Area. Near the top of the watershed, Lake Chabot is one of the premier parks in the East Bay regional Parks District System. It also serves as the meeting point for the Bay Area Ridge Trail, which meets the San Francisco Bay Trail. The end of the creek is part of one of the newest EBRPD parks: the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park. '' '' INFORMATION & RESOURCES 'Watershed' San Leandro Creek is channeled and culverted in places, but the majority of the creek is uncovered. It is joined by Indian Creek then at Upper San Leandro Reservoir it is joined by Moraga Creek, Buckhorn Creek, Redwood Creek and Kaiser Creek. San Leandro Creek is joined by Grass Valey Lake at Lake Chabot. The Creek ends at the Arrowhead Marsh at the San Francisco Bay. ' 'Location ' *''Oakland, CA *San Leandro, CA '''Subwatersheds & Tributaries *Indian Creek *Moraga Creek *Buckhorn Creek *Kaiser Creek *Miller Creek *Redwood Creek *Grass Valley Creek 'Volunteer Opportunities' Creek Monitoring Creek Cleanup Add Content to the Wikia Page *Add missing schools and park *Add stories about San Leandro Creek *Add any other critical data 'History' San Leandro Creek 'Active Creek and Watershed Groups' Friends of San Leandro Creek *''' Mission' *'Meetings' *'News' *'Nonprofit since:' 1995 *'Founded:' 1991 *'Partner:' N/A *'Annual Budget:' N/A *'Funding Sources:' N/A *'Paid Staff:' N/A *'Stewardship Activities' *'Assessment Activities:' Creek Monitoring 'Plans' (content needed) 'Projects' 'San Leandro Creek Greenway- In-Progess'' Contributing Organizations: *Friends of San Leandro Creek *Merritt College 'Greenway Feasibility Study - In-Progess' Contributing Organizations: *'Friends of San Leandro Creek' *'Merritt College' 'Nature's Hidden Treasure '''Mural Mural—located under E. 14th Street Bridge in Root Park '''Contributing Organizations:' *Friends of San Leandro *San Leandro High School *San Leandro Historical Society *San Leandro Police and Firefighter Association *San Leandro Recreation and Human Services *Other businesses and service organizations 'San Leandro Watershed INTERACTIVE CD-ROM' ' ' Contributing Organizations: *Friends of San Leandro Creek *Mineral Films *City of San Leandro *CA Integrated Waste Management Board * Alameda County Clean Water Program *The Strong Foundation for Evironmental Values *National Geographic Society *Robert Tucknott 'Education Center & Natural History Museum' Contributing Organizations: *Friends of San Leandro Creek 'Watershed Awareness Festival' '''''Contributing Organizations: *Friends of San Leandro Creek 'Land Use ' 'Trail Resource' *American Trail *Resources for planning accessible trails. 'Greenway Resources' *American Trail Greenway Information 'Ecology' Ecology on Wikipedia 'Hydrology' (content needed) ' 'Water Quality Where the watershed drains and its water quality *TMDL pollutants Urban Stormwater runoff *Pollutants associated with stormwater runoff 'Fish' In 1870, the first rainbow trout hatchery was established in California on San Leandro Creek and trout production began the next year. The hatchery was stocked with the locally native rainbow trout. The fish raised in this hatchery were shipped to hatcheries out of state for the first time in 1875, to Caledonia, New York. In 1876, fish were shipped to Northville, Michigan 'Soils' (content needed) 'Trash ' Most of the trash in San Leandro Creek originates on city streets and is washed into the creek by storm water. Storm water trash will be dramatically reduced in the upcoming years, and eliminated by 2012. Responding to amendments of the Federal Clean Water Act, the CA State Water Board permits to cities require new provisions to regulate stormwater discharge, including trash. The goal of Provision C.10. is for the Permittees to reduce trash loads from municipal separate storm sewer systems by 40% by 2014, 70% by 2017, and 100% by 2022. Provision C.10. requires the submittal of plans and studies, which will be posted on this page when they are submitted. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/stormwater/Municipal/index.shtml http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/stormwater/MRP/Prov_C10.shtml San Leandro installing screens to keep debris out of water. Survey pinpoints sources of trash in San Francisco Bay. 'Creek Stories' *A lot of us used to access the creek through the "vacant lot" on Haas Ave. where there were BMX tracks all over leading down to the creek bed. There were ramps and bowls all over what is now a big apartment complex. Fresh blackberries all along a fence on the back of Carrol Way. We would fish in the creek, make forts and try to camp overnight in between the eucalyptus. Walk for miles down there. - Pia Porrino Glenn *I lived on and loved that creek. Spent lots of time from 580 upstream to Lake Chabot and the golf course. I remember walking down the creek at night after an ice blocking bust...Pretty sure there're some initials/hearts thing down there from my teen years... Doug Teakell II ''' Maps' 'Watershed Maps' *Oakland Museum Creek Map *San Leandro Creek Historical Map *Contra Costa Watershed Atlas 'Trails' *Anthony Chabot Regional Park *Crown Beach Regional Park *Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Regional Park *Bay Trail *Ridge Trail *San Francisco Bay Area Hiker 'Local Agencies & Contacts' *City of Moraga - Planning Department *City of Oakland - Public Works Agency *City of San Leandro - Engineering & Transportation Other Major Land Managers and Contacts *EBRPD **Redwood Regional Park ** Anthony Chabot Regional Park ** Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline ** Willow Park Golf Course *ABAG **Bay Trail Project (at Arrowhead Marsh) *Western Pacific Railroad *Southern Pacific Railroad *Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) *City of San Leandro **Cabot Park **Root Park Local Non-Creek or Watershed-Oriented Stakeholder Groups *EBMUD - East Bay Municipal Utility District *Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District *Alameda County Clean Water Program Parks Near Creeks *Anthony Chabot Regional Park *Martin Lurther King Regional Shoreline Park *Memorial Park *Sheffield Village Recreation center *Onset Park *Sobrante Park *Columbian Gardens Park *Thrasher Park *Plaza Park *Root Park *Estudillo Park 'Schools in the Watershed' *Dag Hammarskjold Schoolrookfield - Empire Rd:Coral Rd (Near 98th Av) Oakland, CA 94603 *'Brookfield Villiage School''' - 401 Jones Ave Oakland, CA 94603 (510) 879-1030 *'Madison Jr. High School' - 400 Capistrano Drive, Oakland, CA 94603 (510) 636-2701 *'Sobrante Park School '- 470 El Paseo Drive, Oakland, California 94603 (510) 879-1540 *'Grover Cleveland School '- 530-18th Street, Oakland, California 94612 *'Stonehurst' - 901 105th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94603-3120 (510) 879-0838 *'St. Louis Bertrand School '- San Luis Beltrán Roman Catholic Parish - 1410 100 Avenue, Oakland California 94603 (510)568-1080 *Li'ncoln School '- 225 11th Street, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 874.3372 *'Washington Manor Middle School '- 1170 Fargo Ave., San Leandro, CA 94579 (510)317-5500 *'McKinley School' *'Bancroft Jr. High School '- 1150 Bancroft Avenue, San Leandro, CA 94577 (510)618-4380 *'Roosevelt School' - 1926 19th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606 (510)879-2120 *'Sheffield Village School'‎ - 247 Marlow Dr'.', '''Oakland,' CA 94605 (510)638-7190 'References''' *San Leandro Creek: 1853-1993 by Fiorillo, Jessica Thomson. San Leandro, California. Watershed Awareness Program. 1993 (A description of the conditions of the creek in 1853 including native uses, ecology, and geography compared to conditions in 1993.) *The Water King: Anthony Chabot, His Life and Times by Sherwood D. Burgess (Some recounts of San Leandro Creek from Anthony Chabot on pages 75, 113, 118, 119, 126, 132, and 134. He also talks about San Leandro Dam on pages 76, 121, 125, 133, 134)